Best Cities for Young Families in 2016

From economics and education to safety and healthcare and beyond, there are myriad important factors to consider when choosing where to live. Seeking to capture these factors and to determine the best American cities for young families, we considered 16 data points from eight sources and interviewed three experts. Below you will find our results, as well as a detailed methodology explaining how we arrived at them.

Best 150 Cities for Young Families

Make that 156. Here is how every city captured in our study ranks in the five categories of data that affect young families most.

Overall

City

For Working Parents

For Buying or Renting a Home

For Education and Environment

For Outdoor Activities

For Safety and Healthcare

1

Austin, TX

10

103

3

17

121

2

Houston, TX

17

47

31

28

134

3

Raleigh, NC

11

98

7

40

146

4

Des Moines, IA

3

51

30

102

84

5

Dallas, TX

26

79

15

13

129

6

Sioux Falls, SD

1

72

13

144

57

7

Seattle, WA

20

133

11

27

121

8

Omaha, NE

4

31

28

125

114

9

Green Bay, WI

8

69

32

134

18

10

San Diego, CA

28

152

12

1

125

11

Fargo, ND

2

75

51

150

41

12

Washington, DC

14

130

33

61

130

13

Rochester, MN

12

69

4

140

20

14

San Antonio, TX

32

50

29

23

133

15

Salt Lake City, UT

7

108

36

116

90

16

Bismarck, ND

9

72

24

153

16

17

Kansas City, MO

21

47

44

79

107

18

San Francisco, CA

33

150

10

3

123

19

Dubuque, IA

25

91

4

113

10

20

Albany, NY

17

121

35

124

24

21

San Jose, CA

40

148

1

4

116

22

Boston, MA

16

143

111

73

100

23

Pittsburgh, PA

27

26

23

109

72

24

Madison, WI

5

129

92

142

66

25

Minneapolis, MN

6

116

66

145

106

26

New York, NY

34

156

50

15

140

27

Urban Honolulu, HI

29

142

48

37

152

28

Columbus, OH

22

64

105

87

117

29

Columbia, MO

30

105

85

86

37

30

Billings, MT

23

91

54

128

52

31

Denver, CO

13

118

69

132

119

32

Lincoln, NE

19

80

70

138

91

33

Cincinnati, OH

43

43

27

72

88

34

Corpus Christi, TX

63

21

45

8

82

35

Baltimore, MD

30

131

85

77

120

36

Phoenix, AZ

46

55

72

38

142

37

Burlington, VT

15

120

49

155

152

38

Milwaukee, WI

23

125

148

111

115

39

Grand Rapids, MI

35

47

2

136

146

40

Cheyenne, WY

42

38

37

146

13

41

Atlanta, GA

59

91

43

24

118

42

Philadelphia, PA

45

139

90

46

128

43

Charlotte, NC

56

74

56

33

146

44

Nashville, TN

44

86

115

69

112

45

Charleston, SC

66

114

62

17

43

46

Trenton, NJ

48

147

119

66

23

47

Allentown, PA

51

126

57

83

27

48

Boulder, CO

49

151

22

96

22

49

Richmond, VA

57

106

20

64

76

50

Grand Forks, ND

39

86

71

152

9

51

Buffalo, NY

36

52

130

133

80

52

Providence, RI

38

136

156

99

71

53

Rochester, NY

40

85

77

136

67

54

Sacramento, CA

70

149

21

5

99

55

Portland, OR

61

144

26

42

132

56

Bridgeport, CT

55

154

96

62

64

57

Indianapolis, IN

50

68

74

94

141

58

Hartford, CT

36

137

149

131

63

59

Los Angeles, CA

69

155

83

2

135

60

Amarillo, TX

80

13

9

56

62

61

El Paso, TX

86

39

19

13

98

62

Waco, TX

84

29

58

31

40

63

Waterloo, IA

57

80

113

118

33

64

Sioux City, IA

67

7

42

126

35

65

Lexington, KY

62

76

91

85

102

66

Lubbock, TX

81

40

58

44

73

67

Rapid City, SD

52

78

102

149

28

68

Olympia, WA

73

123

8

89

3

69

Missoula, MT

46

141

99

154

29

70

Little Rock, AR

72

13

118

67

101

71

Portland, ME

52

131

88

147

14

72

Colorado Springs, CO

64

82

6

112

108

73

Peoria, IL

78

22

34

88

45

74

Brownsville, TX

97

15

46

9

56

75

Chicago, IL

54

140

95

96

139

76

Evansville, IN

76

10

103

90

59

77

St. Louis, MO

65

57

123

101

93

78

Baton Rouge, LA

79

66

117

43

97

79

Oklahoma City, OK

82

20

72

58

124

80

Worcester, MA

60

127

134

120

48

81

Abilene, TX

107

2

38

21

39

82

Columbia, SC

83

65

124

69

60

83

Great Falls, MT

71

61

142

134

19

84

Knoxville, TN

95

15

98

55

74

85

Huntsville, AL

99

25

41

53

85

86

Akron, OH

76

52

127

118

58

87

Tulsa, OK

92

12

64

74

110

88

Anchorage, AK

67

122

13

156

109

89

Orlando, FL

100

109

40

22

102

90

Fort Wayne, IN

88

1

39

117

89

91

Birmingham, AL

91

54

151

46

105

92

Fresno, CA

103

124

55

7

104

93

Spokane, WA

87

109

17

95

85

94

Louisville, KY

85

17

143

79

136

95

Jackson, MS

93

34

122

68

77

96

Syracuse, NY

73

94

112

141

47

97

Lynchburg, VA

102

59

107

57

16

98

Duluth, MN

75

89

116

150

25

99

Miami, FL

105

119

76

12

113

100

Roanoke, VA

111

40

16

60

44

101

Stockton, CA

110

135

53

6

92

102

Wilmington, NC

108

117

101

20

46

103

Topeka, KS

94

23

99

107

65

104

Wichita, KS

90

18

110

98

152

105

Binghamton, NY

89

104

61

139

2

106

Ta, FL

117

86

51

11

96

107

Memphis, TN

104

43

139

51

126

108

Albuquerque, NM

95

113

108

74

130

109

Erie, PA

101

43

114

114

8

110

Asheville, NC

112

100

94

54

32

111

Wichita Falls, TX

131

2

25

35

30

112

Savannah, GA

123

90

85

30

79

113

Williamsport, PA

115

62

64

106

1

114

Las Vegas, NV

115

102

132

35

149

115

Flagstaff, AZ

97

128

120

143

26

116

Redding, CA

137

138

18

19

31

117

Charleston, WV

113

6

141

123

21

118

Chattanooga, TN

120

35

154

65

70

119

Jacksonville, FL

132

84

47

16

137

120

Pensacola, FL

147

31

63

10

14

121

New Orleans, LA

125

98

120

29

111

122

Montgomery, AL

129

33

125

46

83

123

Reno, NV

109

107

77

122

75

124

Springfield, IL

126

56

79

82

50

125

Springfield, MO

127

28

92

79

69

126

Cleveland, OH

106

95

150

115

94

127

Youngstown, OH

119

11

135

127

7

128

Lake Charles, LA

139

8

60

25

152

129

Yakima, WA

124

96

74

92

34

130

Toledo, OH

113

37

144

108

138

131

Shreveport, LA

135

24

133

50

78

132

Athens, GA

130

82

138

32

143

133

Lewiston, ID

138

62

88

71

6

134

South Bend, IN

120

19

153

129

49

135

Gainesville, FL

142

115

97

26

55

136

Dayton, OH

133

36

145

78

53

137

Lansing, MI

118

97

128

129

38

138

Columbus, GA

146

27

82

41

87

139

Atlantic City, NJ

128

153

152

84

12

140

Detroit, MI

122

77

137

103

127

141

Grand Junction, CO

134

109

67

110

11

142

Mobile, AL

153

29

79

34

95

143

Eugene, OR

136

145

108

44

151

144

Fort Smith, AR

143

4

140

93

54

145

Tucson, AZ

144

101

106

38

150

146

Medford, OR

141

146

103

76

42

147

Tallahassee, FL

149

112

84

49

81

148

Salem, OR

148

134

81

52

67

149

Muskegon, MI

152

60

68

91

5

150

Rockford, IL

140

67

129

100

61

151

Augusta, GA

145

43

130

63

143

152

Mansfield, OH

150

9

147

104

4

153

Macon, GA

156

57

126

59

143

154

Huntington, WV

151

5

155

105

152

155

Flint, MI

155

42

146

121

36

156

Pueblo, CO

154

71

136

148

51

Top (and Bottom) Five Cities for…

Every family has its own set of values for the place they want to call home. With this fact in mind, let's break down and explain where cities rank in four categories that are of importance: weather, commuting, education and buying/renting a house.

To rank America's best cities according to climate, we combined three metrics provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: the number of days of measurable precipitation; the number of days of a minimum temperature of 32 degrees or less; and the number of days of a maximum temperature of 90 degrees or more. We defined the best as those cities that recorded the fewest days of each. In other words, these are the cities are not too cold nor too hot and are more often dry than wet. Surprise, surprise: California led the way.

The U.S. Census Bureau's provides a nice, tidy statistic noting how much time it takes, in minutes, for residents of America's cities to get from home to work. If you abhor the slow train or the clogged highway as much as we do, consider moving to the country's most commuter-friendly places.

Perhaps the most important consideration for young families and the city in which they choose to live, education quality is not easy to quantify. With the best of intentions, we cobbled together four categories to comprise an education score: the number of children in a city; the percentage of families in poverty; the rating of the school systems (as performed by GreatSchools.org); and the proximity of state universities. Our belief is that kids should grow up with other kids, go to good elementary and secondary schools and have the option of paying discounted in-state tuition for their undergraduate degrees. These five cities do that best.

A city can have everything that a young family desires, but it still needs to be affordable. In this category, we considered four data points that speak to the ability of buyers -- and renters -- to find a suitable place to live: the cost of living index; the average amount of real estate taxes paid; the ratio between income and mortgage amounts; and the percent of residents who spend 40% or more of their income on rent. The following five cities averaged a top-25 ranking for each of the four categories.

How Do the Data Points Influence Each Other?

After culling together 16 data points from eight reputable sources in the process of producing this study, we asked ourselves whether any of pair of them showed correlation. For exle, how does the average commute time for residents in a given city affect that city's economic strength, if at all? Here are four such data interactions worth analyzing.

Methodology

To determine the best cities for young families in 2016, we sought out recent data from reputable sources. We ended our search with 16 data points from eight such sources that fit nicely into five separate categories of concern to all families. Below, we breakdown each statistic and point to its origin. In parenthesis is the stat's weighting, and those marked with an asterisk are state-based (not city-based).

Family Experts Weigh in

To expand upon our coverage of the best cities for young families, we put the data aside and reached out to three experts, including two psychology professors, for answers to three questions of interest to all families. Here is what they had to say.

What should young families consider when buying their first home?

“Recognize that you are buying your first house and not the only house you are likely to own in your lifetime. Also recognize what are the things you need in a house and those things that you want. TV shows on home and garden networks often depict couples who want open floor plans, granite or quartz countertops and swimming pools. All of these things can be expensive, and you may want to trade some practical things for some of these luxury items… For exle, many houses built before the 1960s had a single bathroom that was shared by four to six family members. While I'm not advocating a move back to the single-bathroom house, each family member probably doesn't need his or her own bathroom or sink. Children can learn to share by making adjustments in shared bathroom usage. Recognize that children's needs for privacy change over time and plan accordingly. Each child may not need her or his own bedroom before adolescence, but sharing private space (bedrooms and bathrooms) becomes increasingly difficult with age. A first house, when children are younger, may not have as many bedrooms or bathrooms as a house full of teenagers.

"If you can afford it, you should consider neighborhood and, perhaps even more importantly, school district. The school your child attends will be an important determinant of how well the child will do in life. Children from schools that provide poor preparation are less likely to succeed academically and professionally later on in life. Become engaged in your local PTA or other organizations that monitor the educational system in order to assure that your child is receiving the best education possible. Consider neighborhood safety and composition as well. Think about the possibility of playmates for your child and safe areas in which your children can play.”

How should parents help ease their children's adjustment?

"Involve children in the move so that they feel like they are apart of the process and understand what's happening. Depending on the age of the child, parents should find ways that are appropriate. For exle, a young child might be encouraged to give a favorite toy a "tour" of the new neighborhood, while an older child could "research" fun activities for the family to do in the new town.

"Recognize that children can have complex feelings, and encourage them to express their emotions. Someone might be excited at the thought of moving to a new house, but sad to leave friends. The movie "Inside Out" does a wonderful job portraying the emotional experience of a young child. As the movie shows, all of emotions have a role, so parents should not put pressure on children to feel a certain way.

"Maintain consistency where possible. If every Tuesday was 'Taco Tuesday' in your old home, make sure to keep that tradition once you move. These little things can help create a sense of stability and provide an anchor during a time of change.

"Remember that moving is a process. Children -- and adults -- adjust at different rates. A
child who seems fine during the first few weeks might suddenly start experiencing difficulties. Another child might have trouble in the beginning, but do well after some time. Signs that children are having trouble adjusting often include regressing into immature behaviors like more temper tantrums or even physical symptoms like stomach aches. Parents needs to pay attention to these signs and respond with empathy. Social support can be one of the best predictors for transition success."

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